


Thirty Outtakes

by notyouranswer (gorgeouschaos)



Series: Thirty Seconds Sooner [3]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: M/M, Outtakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21895885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeouschaos/pseuds/notyouranswer
Summary: The slash scenes that got cut from the main work.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Series: Thirty Seconds Sooner [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1405645
Comments: 18
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter Nineteen (A Good Man in Harlem)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm ridiculously tired so I'm finally posting this. There will probably be a lot more. Hope you like it.

Frank grumbles under his breath about Catholic boys and their need for luxury as Matt turns the shower on.

When Matt wakes up reaching for Elektra, he hits Frank’s arm instead.

Frank jolts awake but doesn’t reach for his gun. Instead, he reaches for Matt’s hand in the dark.

Matt wakes up around noon with his fingers twined with Frank’s.

He goes back to sleep.


	2. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More gay outtakes. Yay?

Matt hears Danny whisper, “You guys really aren’t, ya know, together?”

“He can hear you,” Frank says. “And no. His wife would kill me painfully. Unless she was involved…”

Matt chokes on his own spit.

‘Wow. Okay.” Danny coughs. “That’s… quite the image.”

“Ain’t it just. Might even let you watch.”

Matt would bet whatever’s left of his soul that Frank winks, because Danny’s still sputtering as Frank walks away.

“I left a pair of your sweatpants on the left pillow,” Frank tells Matt, closing the door behind him. He’s not sure how well sharing a bed is gonna work, but hey, the military taught him how to sleep just about anywhere. Unless Matt has a nightmare and tries to kill Frank it should be fine.

“Thanks.” Matt runs his hand over the pillow until he finds them. “You didn’t sleep?”

“Nah.” Frank sits on the other side of the bed and starts unlacing his boots. The routine of it is comfortable, even though the rest of his life is kind of going to shit. 

He doesn’t want to say what he’s going to, but Frank has never been a coward or backed down from a fight, so he spits it out.

“I couldn’t sleep until I knew you were safe.”

Matt cocks his head. “Oh.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Frank mocks. “Don’t pretend that’s all you’ve got to say, Red.”

Frank knows Matt well enough to read the frustration, confusion, and hesitation on his face. Frank doesn’t know him well enough to know what he’s going to do next, though. 

Frank tells himself firmly that he’s not afraid of that.

Matt thoughtfully pulls his suit jacket off, then his shirt. Frank’s breath catches at the sight of Matt’s scars and skin. 

Frank can hear his own heart speeding up. He can only imagine how obvious it is to Matt.

_God, you’re beautiful._

There’s a reason Frank tries not to look too long at Matt.

Matt blinks. Realization dawns on his stupidly chiseled face. “ _Oh_.”

“Oh, for _Christ’s sake_ ,” Frank snarls. “Can I kiss you or not, you moron?”

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” Matt says, and then Frank’s got a shirtless Daredevil in his lap.

“We’ll have to wash the sheets,” Frank comments breathlessly, sitting up and raking a hand over his sweaty hair. “Danny might have a heart attack if he realized people actually have sex.”

Matt smirks. Reclining on silk sheets, he’s the picture of depravity. 

Bastard isn’t even breathing that hard. 

“Wanna really make it worth the hassle?”

“You’re gonna kill me, Red. Fuck yeah.”


	3. Chapter Twenty-Five: Nothing by Halves

“No, no, stop,” Frank sighs. He steals the comb that Rand leant to Matt. “I got it.”

Matt fidgets and tries to stand still. Frank stands closer than he ever had before and it’s an effort to hold himself back. Matt isn’t sure where the lines are at the moment, or what they are together. If they’re together.

Fuck, he doesn’t have any idea what he's doing.

Matt plays it safe and doesn’t move. 

“God’s sake,” Frank sighs. He tosses the comb onto the counter and leans in.

“Don’t blaspheme,” Matt murmurs against this lips. “I’m a good Catholic boy, after all.”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Frank asks. “‘Cause that thing you did with your tongue--”

Matt cuts him off by kissing him.

“I’ve got a lawyer and everything,” Frank says. Matt can hear the smirk in his voice. “And take it from me, he’s got quite the tongue.”

Matt seriously considers leaving Frank to be arrested by Iron Man.


	4. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank thinks for a second. The alcohol in his system doesn’t help. “Never have I ever… been arrested.”

Frank thinks for a second. The alcohol in his system doesn’t help. “Never have I ever… been arrested.”

Everyone but Danny does a shot.

“Red? When did you get arrested?”

Matt gives Frank that lopsided grin that makes his heart beat faster. “College. I decked a rich guy for harassing a girl and he called the cops.”

_Of course you did._

“How’d you get out of it?” Luke asks. He’s probably the least drunk, after Natasha.

“Explained the situation, played up the blind thing, brought up some obscure laws. Wasn’t that hard.”

Luke shrugs. “Huh. Okay, Jess’ turn.”

At some point, Matt ends up leaning on Frank. Matt also insists on holding Frank’s hand. 

Frank, with all the dignity he can hold onto when he’s mostly drunk, lifts his chin and dares anyone to say anything.

Luke just smiles.

“Never have I ever,” Natasha says-- _shit_ , Frank thinks, _she’s smiling_ \-- “had sex with Matthew Murdock.”

Frank, maintaining eye contact, does a shot. No one else drinks, which is good, because Frank’s really not in the mood to get into a duel over Red’s honor or some such shit.

Danny does a fist pump. “I knew it.”

“Wasn’t like they were subtle,” Jessica mutters.

Frank scowls in her general direction. He’s always subtle. Subtle is his middle name. He tells Jessica that.

“I thought your middle name was Francis,” Matt mumbles into Frank’s shoulder. 

Frank wakes up with a pounding headache, a mouth drier than the Sahara, and Matt snoring in his ear. When Frank tries to move, Matt tightens his arms around him and protests sleepily.

Frank sighs, lets his head fall back onto his pillow, and resigns himself to his fate. 


	5. Chapter Thirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally Tony and Frank were going to head to the Middle East and do their best to take out the Ten Rings etc., but I decided not to do that because a) I felt like that was oversimplifying the issue, b) I didn’t know enough about terrorism in the MCU, and c) a friend pointed out that Tony probably wouldn’t get that hands-on anymore, what with Morgan and Pepper.   
> This is as far as I got with that plot point. Might overhaul and make it into a separate outtake at some point. This was another one of the gay outtakes, so bonus.

Frank answers a call from an unknown number about three years after the Snap.

“Castle?” Tony Stark’s voice asks. “It’s--”

“I can tell who it is,” Frank snaps. “The hell do you want?”

“I want you to help me shut down the Taliban and al-Qaeda,” Stark says. “I want you to help me clean up my mess. I’m taking responsibility, Castle, and I want you to help me not fuck it up.”

Frank takes his phone away from his ear to stare at it. 

“Hello?” Stark asks.

Frank lifts his phone back up. He’s not convinced he’s not hallucinating, but he says yes anyway.

“You’re actually going with him?” Red asks. 

Frank studies his face. He can’t tell if Red is angry, upset, or something else. Red’s got a mean poker face sometimes. That was part of why he was such a powerhouse in the courtroom.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Not sure. Maybe a few months.” 

Frank has no real idea. Stark hadn’t said anything besides “be at Avengers Tower by seven tonight”. Frank won’t stay away from Max or Matt for any more than a few months, though, no matter what Stark wants.

Matt turns away.

“Hey,” Frank says. “You okay?” 

Frank isn’t sure how to react to this. He has no idea how to act or what to say. Red’s a goddamn powderkeg at the best of times and this is far from an ideal situation.

“I’m fine,” Matt snarls. “Go kill some more people in the Middle East, Frank. I’m sure that’ll make it easier for you to sleep at night.”

“Low blow, Red,” Frank says quietly. 

Red doesn’t turn around. “Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll take it back.”

Frank packs a duffel in the ensuing chilly silence.

He pets Max for several minutes before picking up his bag. 

Frank pauses in the doorway.

“This is something I have to do, Matt.”

“Do it, then.”

Frank’s closing the door behind him when Matt catches the doorknob and pushes the door open again.

“Come back, okay?” Matt says in a rush. “Promise me.”

Frank knows he can’t make that promise and mean it. He knows Matt will hear the lie. 

He says, “I will. I promise.”

Matt hesitates. He rushes forward, grabs Frank’s face, and kisses him hard. Frank drops his duffel bag and kisses back.

Frank doesn’t like how Matt tastes like desperation.

“Okay,” Matt says. He clears his throat and steps back into their apartment. “Okay. Go on, then.”

Frank walks to Avengers Tower with his promise weighing down his every step. He rubs his fingers over his dog tags as he walks. 

The last time he’d come back from war, his family had been waiting for him. 

If he comes back from the war he’s walking into, it’ll be Red and Max waiting for him. 

Frank doesn’t know if he’s going to come back, but he’s going to do his best to keep his promise. 

Stark’s waiting in the lobby, ignoring the stares and whispers directed at him with the ease of practice. 

Frank tugs his hood farther over his head. Somehow he thinks if anyone notices him and Stark talking-- without Frank getting arrested-- there might be some problems.

“Let’s go,” Stark says when he notices Frank. 

Frank does his best to ignore the people watching them as they head to the elevators. 

Once the doors close behind Frank and Stark, Stark’s devil-may-care facade vanishes. His shoulders slump and his casual smirk disappears.

Frank takes the opportunity to study Stark’s face. “Second thoughts?”

“No. Just… “ Stark shrugs jerkily. “I just never thought I’d go back.”

“Yeah,” Frank says. “Me neither.”


	6. Chapter Thirty-One

Frank’s chest refuses to loosen until he’s watching Matt breathe.

_Compromised_.

Frank wonders if more than just his contacts and apartment has been compromised recently, then laughs at himself.

He’s been compromised since the first time this horn-headed, dramatic, holier-than-thou, self-sacrificing idiot threw his first punch.

It’s just taken a while for the moron to realize it.

Frank sits, and he watches Matt breathe, and he wonders why the hell he ever let Matt to mean this much to him.

Matt’s breathing quickens a few hours later.

“Frank?” Matt tries to sit up. His hand finds Frank’s. “Where--”

“Danny’s. Go back to sleep. You’re drunk.”

“‘Kay.”

Matt collapses onto the pillows again. 

_Oh_ , Frank thinks, keeping hold of Red’s hand. _Right. That’s why._


	7. Chapter Thirty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frank and Matt were going to go on an epic hunt for Murakami and meet Clint and Natasha in Japan, but I decided to not do that. I couldn’t bring myself to delete this scene, though, so here it is.

The five of them spend a good two hours arguing about their next steps, which Matt thinks is pretty typical. 

They’re not even arguing about whether or not Murakami needs to die. They’re just arguing about how to accomplish it.

Luke’s willing to back whatever Frank’s play is. Danny wants to go on an epic international quest to bait the guy into K’un Lun and kill him there, because he’s a dramatic little son of a gun. Jessica is championing using Matt as bait. Frank wants to just kill Murakami.

Matt tends to agree with Frank. They’ve been running from the Hand long enough. 

He thinks Elektra, if she’s watching, would approve.

They talk in circles for hours, avoiding the inevitable problem.

“The thing is, though,” Danny points out at last, “if you two leave New York to chase the Hand, I don’t think we’ll be coming with you.”

Matt knew this was coming. It still hurts worse than the throbbing in his shoulder. 

Nobody contradicts the statement. Danny fidgets but doesn’t take it back.

“Yeah,” Matt says, when no one else speaks. “Figured as much.”

“I’m sorry, guys,” Danny whispers. 

“Don’t apologize,” Matt tells him. “It’s your city. All of yours. I get it. I wouldn’t leave if not for all of this shit. I never would have left if not for Elektra. I get it. Just… Just keep Hell’s Kitchen safe for me, okay?”

Danny nods. From his breathing, he’s upset.

“Aw, hell,” Matt says, feeling tears prickle in his eyes. “Come here, kid.”

He hugs Danny tight and pretends that this probably isn’t the last time the five of them will be together.

Luke’s hug is warm and solid and reassuring; Jessica's is hard and bony. For Jessica, she’s being gentle.

“Kill the son of a bitch and get your asses back here,” she orders Matt. “I need my clubbing buddy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Matt says.

“And you,” she adds, rounding on Frank. “Hurry the fuck up. I need you to complain with.”

Frank salutes. “Your wish is my command.”

“Shut up,” she mutters, but she pulls him into a brusque hug anyway. 

Matt memorizes the heartbeats of his family, takes in every detail of their presence, and then he turns towards the door.


	8. Chapter Thirty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last one for now! Thanks for reading and I love hearing from y’all!

“You’ve been screwing Matt.”

If Frank was a different man, he might have choked on his coffee. Instead he puts his cup down slowly, resisting the urge to shift under Elektra’s scrutiny. 

“Yeah.”

Elektra nods. Frank thinks about asking if she’s talked to Matt, but she speaks before he can. 

“I’m not going to kill you, so stop looking so nervous. I just want to know where we go from here.”

“Um.” None of Frank’s military training prepared him for this conversation. “I’m guessing you have an idea, since you brought it up.”

She shrugs. It’s elegant and fluid, just like every other motion she makes. “It’s up to Matt.” It’s a challenge.

“Course it is.”

Frank’s learning to read Elektra, and he thinks the look on her face is approval. 

“Um,” Matt says, fidgeting with a pencil. “I… um.”

“Red--”

“Matthew,” Elektra says, cutting Frank off. “This part is fairly simple. Do you still love me?”

“Of course,” Red says, offended. “You know I do.”

“And do you love Frank?”

Matt’s face turns as red as his suit. “Um. I…” The pencil snaps between his fingers. “I don’t want him to leave.”

Elektra nods. “All right, then. That’s what matters. The rest of it is just details.”

Frank swallows and resists the urge to break out through the nearest window. If Red can sit through this conversation, he can too. 

“We’ll figure it out, Red.”

Matt’s fingers, still clenched around the remains of the pencil, go still. Frank’s seen him look less terrified facing down armies.

“We’ll figure it out,” Frank repeats, firmly. “That’s what matters.”

Matt’s uncertain smile makes everything inside of Frank settle.


End file.
